The invention relates to a user configurable tree structure interface, generally as follows. A configurable user interface arrangement representing data elements of at least one data source according to the principles of the claimed invention comprises a dynamic tree structure monitoring area (TSMA) displaying at least one tree structure having at least one node (N), each tree having a root node (RN). Each node represents a data element or a set of data elements, and at least one node is user selectable. The configurable user interface also comprises a configuration editor comprising means for establishing a configuration code set, said configuration code set defining the structure of said tree structure(s). At least one node (N) in said tree structure(s) defines a set of reading commands to be executed when a node (N) is selected in the said tree structure monitoring area (TSMA). The configurable user interface also comprises a content monitoring area (CMA) monitoring the content or a part of the content of a selected node, said content being established by said set of reading commands.
Alternatively, a user configurable user interface arrangement representing data elements of a data source according to the principles of the claimed invention comprises a dynamic tree structure monitoring area (TSMA) displaying at least one tree structure having at least one node (N), each tree having a root node (RN). Each node represents a data element (or a set of data elements), and each node is user selectable. The configurable user interface also comprises a content monitoring area (CMA) for monitoring the content or a part of the content of a selected node, said content of data elements being established by said set of reading commands (RC). The configurable user interface also comprises a searching facility operating on established content of the content monitoring area (CMA) of a selected node (N) or non-established content of at least one selected node (N) itself. The said searching facility operates on at least one search criterion or combinations of search criteria, said criteria defining different types of information related to data elements of said content.
The invention also relates to a user interface. A user interface according to the principles of the claimed invention comprises a user interface arrangement as described above, wherein the search is established by an activation of a node (N) as a menu providing a search option on different types of information in the content monitoring area, or combinations of such.
The invention further relates to data processing systems. A data processing system for controlling a user interface of a computer according to the principles of the claimed invention comprises computer processor means for processing data, storage means for storing data in a data carrier, a monitoring unit for monitoring a user-interface, and a configurable user interface as described above.
Alternatively, a data processing system for controlling a user interface of a computer according to the principles of the claimed invention comprises computer processor means for processing data, storage means for storing data in a data carrier, a monitoring unit for monitoring a user-interface, and a configurable user interface as described above.
The invention also relates to a data carrier. A data carrier according to the principles of the claimed invention comprises data establishing a user-interface of a computer as described above.
Conventionally software data management systems are usually specialised to dedicated functions required for the specific application in the sense that use of such kinds of applications requires certain skills not available for personal working primarily with word processors, spreadsheets and simple graphic presentation programs. In particular, this may be the case in industrial computer systems usually including e.g. larger databases containing a very large amount of information being absolutely non-accessible to the above type of basic skill users.
This may e.g. materialise in that an immense amount of data actually present in a computer system is not available for persons having an actual need for accessing this data, as a look-up for this data requires vast knowledge about possible searching and operating features of the specific applications.
This has resulted in certain kinds of report generators being adapted for accessing a certain types of information, which may be printed out. A common feature of these conventional report generators is that they are dedicated for accessing data in intervals of e.g. one week, one day or the like, as the main purpose of such generators are statistics, budget controls or the like. Moreover, they are usually dedicated for use in one specific environment, e.g. a certain type of database.
Another example of systems adapted for providing information to basic skill users are file management systems adapted for managing data of different software applications. A serious disadvantage of such systems is that they provide a 1:1 overview of present data, thus leaving the user alone in a data jungle organised to fit the functional environments and certainly not to be accessed intuitively.
In some systems this problem has been addressed by reorganising the data in such a way that the data are split up or sub-divided in a more intuitively logical way. This reorganising of data is nevertheless costly, and will require very specialised programming and organising of a data source. Moreover, a physical reorganising of data is dangerous, as the risk of faults and breakdowns will exceed.
Moreover, such a reorganisation of data may likely be convenient to some groups of users, but counterproductive to other groups or users.
Another problem related to file management systems is that a user has no possibility to organise data contained in one library appropriate to his needs.
It is an object of the invention to provide a data management system, which may be intuitively accessed by a basic-skill user and which may run with existing system resources.
The invention relates to a configurable user interface arrangement representing data elements DE of a data source,
said user interface arrangement comprising
a dynamic tree structure monitoring area TSMA,
said tree structure monitoring area displaying at least one tree structure having at least one node N, each tree having a root node RN
each of said nodes N representing a data element or a set of data elements
each node being user selectable,
a configuration editor CE
comprising means for establishing a configuration code set,
said configuration code set defining the structure of said tree structure(s) and
for at least one node N in said tree structure(s) defining a set of reading commands to be executed when a node is selected in the said tree structure monitoring area TSMA, and
a content monitoring area CMA
monitoring the content or a part of the content of a selected node, said content being established by the said set of reading commands.
According to the invention, an advantageous and compact user friendly arranging of data has been obtained.
According to the invention, a user has the possibility of obtaining a personal adapted tree layout providing the user with the necessary information by means of a simple selection of a node in a tree structure. Thus, a user needs no special or expert knowledge about handling of different types of applications, such as data bases, CAD programs, etc., as a monitoring of a certain data element requires only a simple graphic operation.
It should be noted that, according to the invention, the pre-programming of the reading commands required for establishing the necessary monitoring may be performed by system experts or even only less specialised super users, having the specific knowledge about the certain data type and the possible reading methods.
If the configuration editor is operating in a simple and user friendly way it may be configured by one internal company super user or a number of programmers, each having special knowledge about a certain type of data retrieval.
According to the invention as fast cross access or simultaneous access between different types of applications is established, as the user interface arrangement according to the invention may establish an easy query and listing of all possible data elements in a, computer system, regardless of data types, reading methods, application types, etc.
Moreover it should be noted that the teaching of the invention deals with an intuitive reading and organising of data elements of a data source in a visual an intuitive tree structure. A user is thus no longer restricted to a 1:1 access or reading of data elements known from prior art user interfaces.
The editor of the user interface arrangement may, when appropriately established, ensure that the user interface can be modified dynamically depending upon the wishes and desires of the user.
Consequently, a further feature of the invention is that the created user interface may be established and presented as a personal user interface, which may be booted automatically during boot-up.
Even larger organisations will be able to offer their employees a personal tool without interfering with internal company software policies. The user interface arrangement of the invention will avoid any confusing and modification of the individual standard software applications themselves, but only establishing simple reading procedures cross-referring to the different software applications.
A further aspect of the invention is that the selective reading of each node reduces the amount of data available for a more detailed investigation, as only a little part of the total amount of data is addressed by a selective reading in one node. Thus, according to an embodiment of the invention, an effective sub-organising of data has been obtained, as the reading and investigation of data elements will be restricted to the selected node or sub nodes. Unnecessary searching in data elements irrelevant to the guided user query may thus be avoided.
The selection of a node may e.g, be a simple mouse operation, but many other selection operations are of course possible within the scope of the invention. In other embodiments the node may e.g. be selected by means of a mouse, while a reading of the data elements in the node may be effected separately by means of e.g. different general reading commands, such as a masked reading.
A further aspect of the invention is to regard the user interface according to the invention as a tool optimised and adapted for guided searches in data bases. As the number of data elements in a node of a data typically may be very large, an effective search method or algorithm should be available when a certain desired node has been found and selected. An effective searching and handling of data elements in a node is obtained by means of the visual reducing of data elements, i.e. the visual tree oriented node selection, followed by a listing of a node in the content monitoring area which may be investigated intensely by means of a set of very user friendly searching tools adapted to the content of the node. As the search facilities in each node may be configured specifically to fit to the corresponding data elements.
It should be noted that the reading commands may be supplemented by access commands, if appropriate.
The user interface is preferably adapted for operations on e.g. different data bases, and an addressing of a plurality of data bases are possible.
The editor may be integrated in the user interface or consist of a separated program structure.
Data elements may be files, groupings of files, data elements of a data base, sub-libraries or sub-structures. A data element may e.g. also be an artificially created text picture or other kinds of objects of a node created solely for the purpose of sub-dividing or explaining the information contained in the sub-nodes.
The tree structure may be static or dynamic, but in database environment a dynamic structure will be preferred.
The configuration editor may e.g. a command prompt environment, a visual command construction tool, a common/typical text based editor.
A user selectable node may typically be selected by means of a standard mouse click operation.
When a configurable user interface arrangement wherein the content of the content monitoring area CMA and the layout of the content monitoring area is established by a user in the said configuration editor, a further advantageous embodiment of the invention has been obtained. The configuration editor may thus contain easy accessible commands defining the desired presentation of the data elements in the selected node of the tree.
The determination of the content of CMA in the editor may according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention implement a reading restricted to the desired data elements of the selected node.
When the content of the content monitoring area comprises different information types corresponding to said read data elements, a further advantageous embodiment of the invention has been achieved. Information, such as data, images, etc may be displayed in the CMA, obtaining a predetermined degree of description of each data element.
When the content of the content monitoring area CMA is presented as a list having a number of columns, each column representing a predetermined information type about data elements listed in the content monitoring area CMA, said information being read by said set of reading commands, a further advantageous embodiment of the invention has been obtained, as a listing usually is a very easy accessible organisation of data information.
When said information read by said set of reading commands for at least one column of said content monitoring area is searchable, an advantageous embodiment of the invention has been obtained.
The information read by the reading commands may be searched in a very selectively and user-friendly way, as the search commands are restricted to searches in the selected node and the information read by the reading commands.
When editor comprises a predefined set of commands defining the structure of the tree,
for each node N said commands defining
an ID of the node N,
a father ID of a father node,
and optionally said commands defining
a statement defining an executable reading procedure, said executable reading procedure being executed when the said node N is selected,
a visual presentation of the node in the tree structure in the tree structure monitoring area TSMA, said visual presentation comprising a picture and a text,
a menu definition defining an operational feature of the node, said operational feature defining at least one user programming feature,
an advantageous embodiment has been achieved.
Moreover, the invention relates to a user interface arrangement representing data elements of a data source,
said user interface arrangement comprising
a dynamic tree structure monitoring area TSMA,
said tree structure monitoring area displaying at least one tree structure having at least one node N, each tree having a root node RN
each node representing a data element (or a set of data elements)
each node being user selectable,
a content monitoring area CMA
monitoring the content or a part of the content of a selected node, said content of data elements being established by the said set of reading commands
a searching facility operating on established content of the content monitoring area CMA of a selected node N or non-established content of at least one selected node N itself,
said searching facility operating on at least one search criterion or combinations of search criteria, said criteria defining different types of information related to data elements of said content,
a very preferred embodiment of the invention has been obtained.
Thus, the user interface offers a very attractive compromise of a restricted data set and increased search and masking options. The system may speed up existing file manager systems, and offer the user increased searching options.
This teaching ensures, firstly, that every possible information regarding the data elements contained in the node may be accessed, contrary to state of the art searching facilities, which are dedicated to searching in information contained in every data element of the data source. Secondly, the search restricted to be effected in a single node, may be constrained significantly without slowing the search inconveniently and without occupying system resources.
It should be noted that the above facilities might be incorporated in e.g. file manager systems, thus providing the user a more specific and user intuitive searching and accessing approach, as the searches may be effected in well-defined environments, and in a very truncated amount of data, thus establishing a very fast data access. The reading of the data elements, e.g. data files, when accessing the individual nodes ensures that searches may be made xe2x80x9clocalxe2x80x9d and not through out the whole data source, and the search profile may fit 100% to the present information.
When the data elements are read and presented with associated information of information types, an intuitive read-out has been obtained.
When the data elements comprises files and libraries, an advantageous file manager system has been obtained enabling a fast and user-friendly searching through conventional 1:1 file system representations.
When the information types comprises name, size, type, date and other information associated with a file, and wherein each information type is searchable in each node, an advantageous possibility of searching files of directories or sub-directories represented by a node has been obtained.
When the search is established by an activation of a node (N) as a pop-up menu providing a search option on different types of information in the content monitoring area, or combinations of such, a further advantageous embodiment of the invention has been obtained, as the search may be supported by simple fill-in operations.
Moreover the invention relates to a data processing system for controlling a user interface of a computer, said processing system comprising computer processor means for processing data, storage means for storing data in a data carrier and a monitoring unit for monitoring a user-interface, said system comprising a configurable user interface.
Moreover, the invention relates to a data processing system for controlling a user interface of a computer, said processing system comprising computer processor means for processing data, storage means for storing data in a data carrier and a monitoring unit for monitoring a user interface.
Finally, the invention relates to a data carrier comprising data establishing a user-interface of a computer.